Rotary disk type straw cutter for combines



3 Shee'ts-Sheet l N RG BERGER ATTORNEY;

Feb. 8, 1955 A, o. MYRO LD ET AL ROTARY DISK TYPE STRAW CUTTER FOR COMBINES Filed Aug. 8, 1948 2 Q2 L a A ias Feb. 8, 1955 A. o. MYROLD ET AL 2,701,595

ROTARY DISK TYPE STRAW CUTTER FOR COMBINES Filed Aug. 8, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I4 15 l l a2 12 r 7 no.3

33 III I3 l 27 l F 2:54 1' I o '06 11 l2 0 II -23 22 2| 2A ll, L I l [I ll 1 ,L'E Y "H mmvroxs 2|o ALBIN o. MYROLD GEORGE C. BERGER ATTORNEYS F b- 1955 A. o. MYROLD ET AL ROTARY DISK TYPE STRAW CUTTER FOR COMBINES Filed Aug. 8, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 55 FIG. 4

W ATTORNEYS 5 Ram OLG TOR wj 4o E mm mm AG ....a ...c An. l- ....i r. M

Alhit tQ My old',. to stoahandiGeor zczi ie ge his; inv ntion relatesstotcombinest. and other harvesting: machines-. which.v usually; remove andseparate the 825 i kernels; fruit orwnatural'food-products from the stalks; and straw and; whiclrnormally discharge; the stalks fromfihe delivery; end; of the machine.

Our invention has; particular relation to. the disintes g iationc and, Wide scattering of; the disintegrated-particles of stalks andstraw; continuously throughout-theopera: tion of the machine.

It is an object of our invention to provide a stalk and straw; disintegrating; and: scattering deviceadaptedi for 115G138 an attachments or as. standard equipment: in; variu harvesting machines;- such' -as: graini combines, wherein. provision is; inherently made: inthe conventional." machinetfor; direction andidischarge. ofstalks and/or; straw after preliminary handling of; crops grownibyr. broadcast a-row plam e Another: object is theprovision. of a stalls and straw disintegrating: and scattering machine or attachment adaptedito be readily appliedgto thestraw or stalk.- dis. charge of conventional combines and. the like: and adapted in cooperation-with the stalk directing facilities etahe combine, to cause thestalksande straw. to.be= very finely disintegratediand-ta thereafter be agitated-and; cen trifugally; Hung and dispersed over substantial; area. at the 313311025 the combine onother harvester Mmespecific-ally, it; is an object toprcvidea device or mechanism of the class described wherein two sets of; overlapping; rotary, cutter elements-workinclosecooperation and; are revolved in opposite directions with th orbitst-overlappingin, part, totproduce a ve-ry:etfi= guiding anddisintegration of; the: stalks and straw into small 'particles andto further cooperate withaddi tional: mechanism for.-very. efficiently andiiwidely; dispers ing-andscattering the disintegrated stalk-sandstraw.

A still further. object. is ,theprovision of a device and mechanism ,of: the class described? which includes inclose cooperation: with; two, sets .of= oppositely! revolved; rotary cr tter; elements, a centrifugal? flinging distributorpro doping; fan action and? wide dispersion of the; particles Prod ed;

These; and other objects. and-:- advantages of ouninvem tion will more;- fully-appearfrom the following description; made-sinconnection with theaccompanying drawings wherein, like reference characters: refer to similar parts throughout the severaliviews and" in -whic h:

Eigr l3 ista; cut awayror. sectionalperspective viewof the rear portion of a conventional grain combine having; an; embodiment of our invention applied: as an attachment; to. the straw discharge thereof;

' g 2;is;anenlargedrtopplan view.;of the embodiment of; our-mechanism; illustratedxin' Fig; 1* withthe top of the combine casing removed;

F ig -j is a; cross sectiontaken on the line 3:-.-3*:0f5Fig.- 2;

Fig, 4 is; a fragmentary-toptplan viewv of-"a-somewha-t different-embodiment (similanto-Fig. 2) of our invention; Fig.- is a. fragmentary. top plan view; of -stilt another entofourinvention;and:

" Figs 6- isa cross .sectiontakenon the line 6:...6'-off-Fig 5. I Ind-Fig. 1, ansembodiment-rof our. stalkand StIa'WdiS- integrating and scattering mechanismv as. illustrated; is attached; to. the rear and straw discharge portion of a conventional type of combine, the rear portion o-f-the working mechanism. of: the: combine being, shown; including the rotating pickers R which engage-Z thevwhirlw-ind of; foggcdi straw. or. stalhs ridingupwardly. overg the. grain QQMeyerlGQe kotaryrpickersB iniconventional fashion 1 in;- the manufacturev of: harvesters.

I 2,701,596 ma cara. a, 1.255

acts and toss the straw: and stalks onto: the frontstraw carriers ES;- which. is,. inclined rearwardly: and which mountedj bClOWt to collect' thekernels or seeds, aareturn panRR of conventionale structure. Thisireturn pan car-,- ries; the separated grain. tot-the front: of the: lower cleaning: chute--(notzshown) Ofr'thfi combine. The straw next passesbetween a; transverse rodbeater: RR and a: rotary spikedzbeater SBLand is. dropped through the blast from separating fan. onto-the rean stravwcarrier R8: The various: fans employed? intthe conventional comb'inesand other harvesting machinery-move the chat-fig. stalks, and straw rearwardlyr and the; sidewalls S, top I and-Soutwardly and: downwardly curved rear: deflecting portions Rt of-xthehousing of the; combine cooperate to forcibly, under, normal conditions; discharge straw, chafi-f and stalks downwardlyl and? rearwardlyioft-the machine.

Referring: nowto: the embodiment: of oun invention illustrated in Ei-gsr' 1 tot 32 inclusive, we provide a unit which. iswelli adaptedt as an attachment to, various types of conventional combines and'iother. harvesting machines and which: is equallya applicable as: standard? construction As shown, our machinetorru-nit issupportcdrbv-and mountediinirectangular, Open. box-like rigid; frame, 10: having: upstanding front andrean sidetwallsr 10a and end'walls. 10b.- The frame aszshown, istprovidediwith. an: out-turnedi base flange; 1% extending) about the, complete perimeter; thereof, which; as will: be.-laterdescribed; serves as: a support for the scattering or distributing mechanism cooperatively associated with. the cutter: ore-disintegrating! mechanism The frame; 1th with the cutter; mechanism mounted therein as;s hown, is, disposed: substantially horizontally in the relatively large stalls and. straw: discharge passage at the rearr end 05* the, combinehousing; In, any event; the cutterr mechanism is disposed across: or inqtraversing relation to; the natural. g'uidedi flow. ofi straw from the tail: of.:-the combine onother'harvesting machine.

A pair-of; substantially. horizontal, spaced cuttershafts 15-1; and? 12': are mounted in parallels relation within frame 1.0,. their.- opten -portions.- being: journaledi in suitable bearings 1-"1a ands 12a which-.ma-yr be securedztoand-:supported from; the, outeturned: flange 10c of" the frame atthe ends thereof.

Frictionally clamped. on otherwise preferably:v aflixed to, shaft; 1 1 are. a series; or.- mpltiplici-tyi ofi rotary cutter elements,- 1-1c preferably; in the formof'discs-having sen fi Qdi. or toothed peripheral edges: lying substantially in the Plane; of the bodies. thereof? Smallt circular saws: of suitable djiametenhaving teeth which are not: olfset from their/disczbodies are entirelymatisfactor-y:

AS;Sh,0Wn:iI1:EigS. l: to.-3; the severalz cutter discssldfc are. spaced; apart: and:- frictionally clamped-1' together by.- a series: of: spacing collars: orsleeves 15": which are: slid; ablyinterposed; upon. the shaft 11 between the spaced CLItfCIE'diSQS andrbetweenrthe terminal' discs-ofthp series and;suitable abutmente-collars 1 ;1'd.-*havingthreadedi en gagemen-t w-ithtthe outer'portionsof'the shafts,- one such collar; being ShQ\V11;OI1.Sh3-ftl 1:1 in Big. 2i i The cutter shaft 12 has similarly mounted thereo and; preferably. frictionallyl afiixeda thereto, a second series; of: cooperating cutter discs licofrpreferably but not! necessarilysirnilar; serrated edge construction to the..- discs; on: shaft:- similar. spacing collars: 13" being utilized. for. maintaining the particular spaced relations of the coop crating series-.ofi discsfici Hereit should be noted. that the relationship;- of the diameters of the-twotseries-cf discs 1 1tand 12c and the parallel spacing ofithe shaftsl l and} 12 iS-Sllflh that'the peripheral: portionswoff the: two series of discs overlap slightly. (for; example, fromone-half inch: to que and; one

half? inches) at themcdial portions; of the stalk; and

strawdischarge passage of the combine or harvesting machine-and medially between the frontand" rear side walls and the cooperating cutter; disc extend from, or

substantially fill{ the space between, such-side walls;

It furtheris important in the preferred form of our invention to arrangethe. cutter discs- 11c and lit-on; their; respective. shafts so: that the planes; o f-' the coop er-ating.- discs-.- aredisposed invery close working relation; either with slight clearance between the,discs as;-sho wn in Figs: Stand fitor: with actual frictional contact-between the marginal overlapping portions of the two series of discs as shown in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive. 7

The two series of cutter discs 11c and 12c are caused to revolve in opposite and inwardly feeding directions and various means for effecting suitable driving'connections are known and contemplated. As. shown in Figs. lto 3, shaft 11 carrying the disc 110, is positively driven by endless belt '14 connection with one of the rotary shafts of the combine or harvester conveniently adjacent to the tail end of the machine. As .shown, endless belt 14 is trained about a driven pulley 15 fixed to one of the ends of shaft 11. Shaft 12 carrying the second series of cutter elements 126 is driven in opposite directionvsolely by the frictional contact between the overlapping, opposed marginal portions of the two series of discs 11c and 120, respectively. It has been found that such driving connection is very satisfactory due to the fact that a differential speed of revolution is obtained on the second cooperating series of cutter discs 12c because of the frictional connection means. In another form of the invention illustrated in Fig. 4, both series of cutter discs arepositively driven at differential speeds through endless belt driving connections, as will hereafter more fully appear.

The cutter elements of each series are spaced preferably short distances apart, for example, within a range from one half inch to three inches apart. We provide media for preventing passage of straw and stalks and other material downwardly and outwardly between the container of the two series and between the sides and ends of the box-like frame and the terminal cutter elementsof both series. To this end, in the form shown in Figs. 1 to 3, a series of resilient stripper plates or fingers 16 which as shown have upturned outer attachment ends 16a, are secured to a transverse bar 17 at each side of the frame extending generally horizontally and slightly downwardly with free ends disposed inwardly of the overlapped relation of the two series of cutter elements. These stripper fingers are of proper width to span the greater portion of the space between successive cutter elements on the related side of the machine. Longitudinal deflector plates 18 and 19 are attached at their outer edges to the end walls b of the frame and extend inwardly anddownwardly to cover the greater portion of the space between the interior frame ends and the terminal cutters of the two series cooperating and directing straw inwardly for engagement with the rapidly revolving cooperating cutter discs.

Any suitable means may be provided for rigidly securing the said cutter unit to the rigid housing for the combine or harvester, preferably to the two side walls at the rear portions thereof so that the frame and its supported mechanism lies across the natural, relatively large passageway provided for discharge of straw and other material. As shown the two ends of the boxlike frame 10 areprovided with a series of bolt-receiving apertures 10d through which nutted bolts 20 may be accommodated, said bolts also extending through suitable apertures appropriately formed in the side walls of the rear of the combine housing. Gasket sleeves, as shown in Fig. 2, are provided between the side walls of the combine housing, said sleeves surrounding the fastening bolts 20 utilized.

Closely associated with the disintegrating or cutter unit and disposed below the same and supported as shown from the flange 100 of the boxlike frame, is a particledis'tributor or scattering mechanism of centrifugal fling type, comprising as shown, a rotor casing 21 having a substantially horizontal planar bottom 21a and an upstanding, side wall 21b, a substantial portion of which (nearly half as shown) projects rearwardly and outwardly beyond the rear end of the combine housing and the rear side 10a of the boxlike cutter frame and is uncovered. The forward and remaining portion of housing 21 underlies the greater portion and substantially all of the interlapping portions of the two series of cutter elements and is also open at its top to receive disintegrated straw and stalks and chafi? therefrom.

At the right hand side of the combine or other harvesting machine, the rotor housing 21 is provided with a tangentially related relatively large discharge opening 21odisposed in the general manner of'the discharge of a centrifugal blower and shown in inside side elevationin Fig. 3.

rotor, asshown in the form of a diametrically ex-' tending T-bar 22 is mounted in rotor housing 21 being as shown fixedto the lower end of a vertical rotor shaft 23 which is journaled in a pair of axially aligned, horizontal thrust bearings 24 fixed to the rear side wall 10a of the box frame, suitable apertures being formed in the rear R of the combine housing for accommodating the bearings and their supporting bases or brackets.

While a single integral diametrically disposed bar 22 is utilized as a rotor, providing a pair of radially extending blades, it will of course be understood that various other constructions of rotors may be used, having a number of radial blades provided the same are adapted to produce a centrifugal fling action in conjunction with the rotor housing 21 and its discharge 21o. Rotor 22 is driven as shown, by belt 26 and pulley 27 connection with a smaller pulley which is fixed to the upper end of a vertical stub shaft 28a suitably journaled in a belt takeup bracket 29. Bracket 29 as shown, is supported from the rear right hand corner of the box frame 10 and the bracket is keyed or otherwise non-rotatively supported on the two section, telescoping support 30 which has interr posed between the two sections, a coil spring 30a urging the bracket outwardly for tightening of an endless, twisted belt 31 which'is trained about a pulley 32 affixed to the outer end of shaft 11 and also about a pulley 33 fixed to the upper end of the vertical stub shaft 28a.

Operation In use, the fans, various picker mechanism and strawcarrier element's continuously move and direct the straw, stalks and chaff of the crops treated, with agitation, rear wardly of the combine housing and generally in a downward path at the extreme rear of the combine towards the normal straw discharge passage. This principle of stalk carrier mechanism and air circulation rearwardly, upwardly and then downwardly is utilized by substantially all grain combines and many other crop harvester machines for operating upon clover, alfalfa, soy beans and other crops.

Straw or stalks or other material directed to the tail of the machine is thus guided with some force to the medial portion and top of our cutter mechanism. The stripper plates 16 between the various discs of the cutter mechanism substantially prevent wisps of straw and stalks from passing vertically downward between the cutter elements.

The two series of cooperating cutter elements 11c and are revolved at high speed preferably between two thousand and twenty-eight hundred R. P. M. in opposite directions towards the center of the cutter mechanism thereby engaging straw and stalks which drop or are flung against the upper portions of the cutter elements inwardly and generally disposing such material transversely of the cutter elements. The disc-like cutter elements particularly when equipped with serrated or saw edges, feed the straw and stalks efiiciently to the interlapping portions of the two series of discs and very efficiently out such material into very small fragments, the combinative rotary action serving to efficiently eject and force the cut particles downwardly. We prefer to maintain a differential speed relation between the two sets of cutters as it produces a better shearing action than if the cutter elements are all driven at similar speed.

In the form shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the second set 12c of cutter elements are driven solely by frictional contact at their inner marginal portions with the overlapping cutter elements 110. This frictional contact is very satisfactory because it does not constitute a positive driving and thus, causes the second set 120 of cutter elements to be driven at reduced speed compared to the revolution of cutter elements 11c.

In the operation of the cooperating cutter elements the rotor 22 produces a blower or fan action and since the housing 21 is open at its top, various air currents and eddies are set up both upwardly and downwardly of the cutter mechanism. This produces agitation and turbulence which with the general effect of the fans and carriers of the harvester machine, causes a greater proportion of the straw or stalks to be projected transversely of the top of the disc cutters rather than to normally pass vertically downward.

- In the action of the material scattering or distributing mechanism including the rotor 22 and its housing 21, the small particles disintegrated by the cutter mechanism drop and are forcibly fed downwardly by the cutter discs dropping into the portion of the housing therebelow and being whirled around and centrifugally discharged by the rotor 22. A substantial proportion of the disintegrated material is forcibly discharged through the large discharge aperture or opening 210 scattering widely from the right hand side of the machine as shown in a wide, thin stream directed laterally of the machine. A proportion of the particles discharged from the cutter mechanism is agitated and recirculated by the rotor 22 and due to air currents and forward travel of the m3.- chine rises above the rear edge of the open housing 21 and is dispersed and scattered behind the machine during operation.

The discharge and subsequent destruction or removal of straw and stalks behind combines and other harvesting machines has been a constant source of trouble to the farmer. In conventional harvesting machines, the straw and stalks are forcibly discharged downwardly forming in effect relatively thick windrows, upon the ground. These windrows cannot well be plowed into the ground but must be picked up and burned or otherwise removed or destroyed. The lengths of straw and stalks discharged from conventional combines and harvesters is also such that it is not adapted to be completely plowed into the ground.

With our improved construction the straw and stalks are cut into very small particles or sections averaging from an inch to three inches in length and are scattered and widely dispersed by the joint action of the elongated slotted discharge opening 210 of our mechanism and the distributing action at the rear of the open top housing 2 A close combinative relation exists between the cutter mechanism and distributor mechanism not only in the receiving of the disintegrated material and subsequent discharge thereof, but in the production of variable up and down air currents throughout the cutter mechanism and its frame to assist in agitation of the straw and causing the same to be toppled and directed transversely of the discs.

In Fig. 4 of the drawings (a fragmentary top plan view of the right hand end of our cutter mechanism and driving means therefor) another type of driving means for the two series of rotary cutters is illustrated. The box frame 10, shafts 11 and 12, cutter elements 110 and 13;: and stripper plates 16 are all identical to the form of the invention previously described. Shaft 11 is driven in identical manner to shaft 11 of the form first described but shaft 12 in Fig. 4 is driven at higher speed than shaft 11 by a twisted endless belt 40 trained about a pulley 41 fixed to shaft 11 and also trained about a smaller pulley 42 fixed to shaft 12.

In Figs. 5 and 6, a somewhat diiferent construction of cutter element, spacers and stripper means is shown. Here, between each adjacent pair of cutter elements on each shaft supporting the two series, a spacer disc 45 of preferably light construction is interposed, having a diameter somewhat less than the diameter of the cutter discs 11c and 12c and each spacer disc has a very short diminished end 45a forming with the juxtaposed cutter discs, an annular groove for accommodation of the periphery and teeth of the cooperating cutter disc of the other series. With this arrangement and construction, the stripper plates 16 of the form first described may be dispensed with and a more eificient exclusion of downwardly moving straw and other material is obtained- The two sets of cutter discs 11c and 120 of the form shown in Figs. 5 and 6 may be driven in accordance with the teachings of either of the forms shown in Figs. 1 to 3 or in Fig. 4.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the forms, details, arrangements and proportions of the parts without departing from the scope of our invention.

What we claim is:

1. A straw and stalk disintegrating device for combines having a downwardly directed straw discharge passage, said device comprising in combination a mounting structure having end and side walls adapted to be secured to a combine across the straw and stalk discharge passage thereof, a pair of spaced parallel shafts rotatably mounted on said mounting structure in fixed position relative to each other to extend across the said discharge opening in an elevated position above the ground when said mounting structure is so secured, a series of peripherally toothed rotary disk cutters fixedly mounted in spaced relation on each of said shafts for rotation therewith, the rotary disk cutters of one shaft being substantially parallel with the disk cutters of the adjacent shaft and together extending from one side wall to the other, each of the rotary disk cutters of one shaft being disposed in edge overlapping and side-by side frictional contacting shearing relation with a rotary disk cutter of the other shaft, mechanism for positively driving one of said shafts and the cutters thereon in one direction, and means for rotating the other rotary disk cutters in the opposite direction and at a different speed from the disk cutters in contacting relation therewith.

2. The invention according to claim 1, with elements supported in the spaces between the disk cutters of each series to prevent passage of straw and stalks between ad jacent cutters, the elements between the cutters of each series substantially filling the spaces in the axial direction of the series and the elements of one series each being in aligned relation with an element of the other series, the said elements of one series being in relatively closely spaced relation with the aligned elements of the other slelrifes providing a material passage midway between the s a ts.

3. The invention according to claim 2, wherein said elements comprise long flat fingers secured to opposite sides of the mounting structure and extending inwardly and downwardly toward the center of the structure.

4. The invention according to claim 2, wherein said elements comprise spacer disks of smaller diameter than the cutting disks.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 21,970 Lashbrook Nov. 2, 1858 181,914 Croft Sept. 5, 1876 239,235 Flohr Mar. 22, 1881 1,006,573 Lockwood Oct. 24, 1911 1,042,932 Leonard Oct. 29, 1912 1,284,068 Diaz Nov. 5, 1918 1,374,149 Huclves Apr. 5, 1921 1,498,086 Ford June 17, 1924 1,769,302 MacGregor July 1, 1930 1,908,548 Smith May 9, 1933 2,239,486 Edwards Apr. 22, 1941 2,280,677 Wagner et aI. Apr. 21, 1942 2,281,846 Klein -1 May 5, 1942 

